Seoul [South Korea], June 22 (ANI): The global artificial intelligence boom reshaped the South Korean financial landscape on Monday as chipmaker SK hynix briefly overtook tech giant Samsung Electronics in market value during intraday trading. This shift marks the first time in nearly 26 years that Samsung's absolute dominance over the country's stock market faced a direct challenge.

According to a news report by The Korea Herald, shares of SK hynix climbed as much as 6.5 per cent to hit a record high of 2.95 million won (USD 1,900). The surge pushed the company's market capitalization to 208.1 trillion won (~USD 156.1 billion) at its peak. That figure exceeded Samsung Electronics' market value of 207.3 trillion won (~USD 155.5 billion) by approximately 800 billion won (~USD 600 million) at the session high.

'As of 3:15 p.m., SK hynix was trading at 2.91 million won, up 5.32 percent, while Samsung Electronics lost 0.28 percent to 353,000 won,' the news report said.

Samsung originally claimed the title of Korea's most valuable listed firm in July 1999 and maintained an uninterrupted hold on the top spot since November 2000, when it surpassed Korea Telecom.

As per the news report, the market inversion highlights a growing investor preference for businesses directly tied to infrastructure for artificial intelligence. SK hynix captured a vital position as the primary supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips for Nvidia's AI accelerators. Driven by this demand, SK hynix shares surged 341.9 per cent this year, outpacing the 197.7 per cent gain recorded by Samsung Electronics.

Investor sentiment also responded to expectations that SK hynix could pursue an American depositary receipt listing in the United States. Referring to market analysts, the report mentioned that a potential Nasdaq debut would broaden the firm's investor base and help bridge the valuation gap with international competitors like Micron Technology.

Hanwha Investment & Securities analyst Park Jun-young recently raised his target price for SK hynix to 4.3 million won. Park attributed the adjustment to stronger earnings visibility and the company's clear leadership in the memory market. He noted that domestic memory chip-makers are moving past their historical valuation discount due to long-term supply agreements and escalating demand for high-bandwidth memory.

'An ADR listing would give SK hynix a chance to be valued alongside comparable companies in the US

market,' the news report quoted Park. 'SK hynix's technology lead and valuation appeal could make a US listing another catalyst for a further rerating of the stock.' (ANI)